Amphibian

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amphibian : any of a class (Amphibia) of cold-blooded vertebrates (such as frogs, toads, or salamanders) intermediate in many characters between fish and reptiles and having gilled aquatic larvae and air-breathing adults — Merriam-Webster See also OneLook

Thesaurus

Roget’s II (Thesaurus.com), Merriam-Webster Thesaurus, Visuwords

Encyclopedia

Amphibians are vertebrates that is four-limbed and ectothermic of the class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terrestrial, fossorial, arboreal or freshwater aquatic ecosystems. Thus amphibians typically start out as larvae living in water, but some species have developed behavioural adaptations to bypass this. The young generally undergo metamorphosis from larva with gills to an adult air-breathing with lungs. Amphibians use their skin as a secondary respiratory surface and some small terrestrial salamanders and frogs lack lungs and rely entirely on their skin. They are superficially similar to reptiles but, along with mammals and birds, reptiles are amniotes and do not require water bodies in which to breed. With their complex reproductive needs and permeable skins, amphibians are ecological indicators; in recent decades there has been a dramatic decline in amphibian populations for many species. — Wikipedia

Amphibian (Encyclopædia Britannica)

Amphibians (David B. Wake & Michelle S. Koo, Current Biology)
Meet Amphibians (AmphibiaWeb, University of California, Berkeley)
AmphibiaWeb’s Illustrated Amphibians of the Earth (AmphibiaWeb, University of California, Berkeley)
AmphibiaWeb (YouTube Channel)

Amphibian Species of the World (Darrel Frost & American Museum of Natural History)

Amphibians (One Zoom)
Amphibia (Catalogue of Life)
Amphibian (WolframAlpha)

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Innovation

Science

Herpetology is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians) and reptiles (including snakes, lizards, amphisbaenids, turtles, terrapins, tortoises, crocodilians, and the tuataras). Birds, which are cladistically included within Reptilia, are traditionally excluded here; the scientific study of birds is the subject of ornithology. Thus, the definition of herpetology can be more precisely stated as the study of ectothermic (cold-blooded) tetrapods. Under this definition “herps” (or sometimes “herptiles” or “herpetofauna”) exclude fish, but it is not uncommon for herpetological and ichthyological scientific societies to collaborate. — Wikipedia

Herpetology (Encyclopædia Britannica)

126 Questions with Answers in Herpetology (Research Gate)

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Preservation

Conservation

Amphibians (Defenders of Wildlife)

Library

DDC: 597.8 Amphibia, Amphibians (Library Thing)
Subject: Amphibians (Library Thing)

Subject: Amphibians (Open Library)

LCC: QL 667 Amphibians (UPenn Online Books)
Subject: Amphibians (UPenn Online Books)

LCC: QL 667 Amphibians (Library of Congress)
Subject: Amphibians (Library of Congress)

Subject: Amphibians (WorldCat)

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Participation

Education

Amphibians (Science Trek)
Amphibians (San Diego Zoo Wildlife Explorers)
Amphibians – Slimy Is Good (Biology4Kids)

MERLOT: Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching
OER Commons: Open Educational Resources

Community

More News …

Frogs and Reptiles News -- ScienceDaily Snakes, lizards, alligators, frogs and toads. From habitat information to frogs in stem cell research, you will find all the reptile and amphibian news here.

This bizarre crocodile relative from the Triassic...
on May 29, 2026 at 12:39 pm
Scientists have discovered Labrujasuchus expectatus, a bizarre crocodile relative that looked more like an ostrich-like dinosaur than anything resembling a modern crocodile. It walked on two legs, had tiny arms, and sported a toothless beak—an unexpected combination for a member of the crocodile lineage.
DNA solves 250-year-old mystery of the...
on May 28, 2026 at 2:16 pm
Scientists have solved the mystery of the Seychelles’ vanished crocodiles using DNA from historic museum specimens. The reptiles were not a unique species after all, but an isolated population of saltwater crocodiles that likely drifted thousands of kilometers across the Indian Ocean.
Tiny “sesame” sea slug discovered in Taiwan...
on May 27, 2026 at 1:00 pm
A sea slug smaller than a sesame seed has turned up in Taiwan’s coastal waters — and it’s so tiny and unusual that scientists realized they had discovered a completely new species. Named Thecacera sesama after its black-and-yellow “sesame-like” appearance, the translucent nudibranch was first spotted during a casual dive and later identified with help from a sea slug expert on Facebook.
Deadly fungus and lung parasites are hammering...
on May 26, 2026 at 11:29 am
A sweeping new study of wild snakes in the southeastern US has revealed a hidden health crisis slithering beneath the surface. Researchers found that many snakes are carrying multiple infections at once, with a dangerous fungal disease called ophidiomycosis — or snake fungal disease — emerging as one of the biggest threats. Pygmy rattlesnakes appeared especially vulnerable, frequently infected with both the fungus and a parasitic “snake lungworm.”
Venomous Himalayan pit viper was actually 5...
on May 26, 2026 at 8:52 am
Hidden deep in the towering mountains of the Himalayas, one of Asia’s most mysterious venomous snakes has been keeping a major secret for over 160 years. Scientists have now discovered that the so-called Himalayan pit viper is not just one species, but actually five separate species — including three completely unknown to science until now.

Phys.org - latest science and technology news stories Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine.

Jurassic viral gene may have helped apple snails...
on June 12, 2026 at 7:40 pm
Pomacea canaliculata, commonly known as the apple snail, is a pest commonly found in Hong Kong's wetlands and farmlands. It feeds on aquatic plants and produces toxic pink egg masses resembling miniature grapes that adhere to plants or stone bunds. It is listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) among 100 of the World's Worst Invasive Alien Species.
New species of Middle Miocene bear-dog described...
on June 12, 2026 at 6:40 pm
A research team with the participation of the Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont (ICP) has described a new species of extinct carnivore from fossil remains recovered at the Els Casots site (Subirats, Alt Penedès). The study, published in the Journal of Mammalian Evolution, describes Paludocyon moyasolai, a medium-sized amphicyonid that lived approximately 15.9 million years ago, during the early Middle Miocene. The specific epithet "moyasolai" pays tribute to Salvador […]
Why animal calls sound alike in time: Most...
on June 11, 2026 at 5:00 pm
From insects to great apes, by way of birds and fish, animals communicate through an extraordinary variety of sounds. While the pitch or timbre of their vocalizations matters, rhythm may play a more fundamental role. Scientists from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), the NCCR Evolving Language, the reConnect Institute and the Institut Pasteur analyzed more than 2,000 sound recordings produced by 98 animal species. All of them vocalize at a strikingly similar rate—roughly two to three acoustic […]
Survival of five million amphibians and reptiles...
on June 10, 2026 at 2:20 am
UBC researchers have found that more than five million amphibians and reptiles were displaced by development in British Columbia in just four years—and that there is no requirement to monitor survival rates. The paper published in the Journal of Wildlife Management is the first of its kind to document the large-scale herpetofauna relocation taking place in the province.
New warning system forecasts wildlife heat risk...
on June 9, 2026 at 9:50 pm
An international group of scientists led by Josep M. Serra-Diaz, researcher at the Botanical Institute of Barcelona (IBB, CSIC-MCNB), has developed the first global early warning system capable of forecasting when and where vertebrate species will be exposed to unprecedented heat up to nine months in advance. The study, published in Nature Climate Change, demonstrates how operational climate prediction tools can be repurposed to anticipate biological risks in near-real time, providing the kind […]